Dear JP

 

Dear JP, 

Happy Birthday sweet boy! You are a big SIX year old today. I have so many emotions. My baby is not really a baby anymore. But I am loving watching you grow and change and figure out who you are. You are sweet and silly and so fun to be around. You love to help around the house and play games and snuggle and read books. You love to play outside with your friends and you love the pool. You love to build Legos and anything Star Wars (which makes your daddy so happy!). You eat all the time and you're not even a teenager yet! There were so many years when I wasn't sure you would ever outgrow being a grump but you have grown up so much this year! 

This year you started kindergarten and are going to school with Ruthie and Ellie. You don't tell me much about school but you seem to like your teacher and the friends in your class. You won't come home and tell me what you learned in school but you'll randomly tell me some interesting thing you learned in school. For instance the other day you told me something was an "ABAB pattern"...and you were right! You are starting to learn to read and you are so proud when we read a book and you find a word you know. I can't wait until you are able to read lots of books...I think you are going to love reading!

This summer you swam on swim team and this was your first year on big team. You were one of the youngest kids out there and you did amazing. You started the year barely making it to the other end of the pool and finished the year easily swimming your lap of freestyle and backstroke at the meet. I am so proud of your determination and perserverance. I know it would have been so easy to give up at some of those early meets but you made it to the end without stopping. You were worn out but so proud of yourself and we were so proud of you! I can't wait to see what next swim season looks like for you!

This year you have started doing golf at the Y. You are so excited and as a bonus you have daddy to go with you each week which just makes you so happy! 

This year we went to Disney World which you loved. The last time we went you were 2 so you don't really remember it but you had so much fun this year and you were such a great age to go! This year we went snow tubing which you loved and you also went skiing for the first time. I was so impressed with all you learned at ski school. We will go skiing again this year and I look forward to seeing you progress this year. I'm so glad you love to ski! This year we went to Mississippi to visit Uncle Ben, Aunt Ruth, and sweet cousin K and you were a trooper for the car ride. We had so much fun there and one of your favorite things was the train museum. So many trains AND Legos. This year you got to go to Washington DC to visit the Novak family. I don't know how impressed you were with the monuments and museums (you were kind of over all the walking) but you thought the Zoo was great! We went to Biltmore and you were pretty amazed by everything. We have had so many fun adventures this year. I love seeing things through your eyes as it is such a sweet perspective. I can't wait to have more fun adventures this year with you! 

You are a wonderful brother and with all those sisters it is not always an easy job to have! You have such a lovely but different relationship with each of your sisters. Ruthie is 100% your partner in crime. She is your constant sidekick and I love how close y'all are. Ellie is your buddy. She is who you hang out with when you need a little calm in the middle of the chaos. Although y'all often manage to create some chaos of your own!  Emmie is your other mother. She is who you go to when you need help or someone to read a book or a band aid and a kiss to make a hurt feel better. I have loved watching each of these relationships grow and develop. I hope you and your sisters will always be as close as you are now. 

You are also a daddy's boy through and through. You love to hang out with any guy but especially daddy. You are such a good helper .I will often find you down the street following one of the dad's in the neighborhood around as they work in the yard...and you don't mind jumping in and helping shovel mulch or any other job that needs to be done!

I love you sweet boy. I love your belly laughs and your snuggles and hugs. 

I hope you had a fabulous birthday!

Love, 

Mom

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